USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 72653 — Mountain Home, Arkansas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR (800 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Mountain Home, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 214 days (NOAA, Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 214 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 23
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 7.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mountain Home
Half of springs at Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 18 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 60% of the 105 Arkansas stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 214 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 105 Arkansas stations; it reaches 238 days one year in ten and falls short of 191 one year in ten. On average 85 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 12 days longer, to about April 12, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 21 and February 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 72653 →Compare Mountain Home with another place →
Weather by month in Mountain Home
July is the warmest month at Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 46°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,511 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 85% of the 105 Arkansas stations. 37% of them (1,670) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 902. Precipitation totals 51.0 inches a year, most in May (5.7") and least in January (3.3"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 3.3 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 3.3 | 100% | 18 | 28 |
| Mar | 60 | 37 | 5.0 | 98% | 10 | 106 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 5.6 | 49% | 2 | 271 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 5.7 | 1% | 0 | 505 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 745 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 902 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 877 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 4.0 | 45% | 2 | 320 |
| Nov | 59 | 37 | 4.8 | 99% | 10 | 95 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 3.8 | 100% | 20 | 22 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR (800 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Mountain Home Baxter Airport, AR, 7 miles northwest of Mountain Home, has a last frost 2 days later (April 2), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Mountain Home, Arkansas
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mountain Home usually arrives around December 23, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR, 2.3 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 72653
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 72653 is 2 miles from Mountain Home 1 NNW, AR, which stands at 800 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 72653 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.